Homeless Shelter Essay

618 Words2 Pages

California currently faces the ominous blessing of the El Nino weather system, which promises to bring desperately needed rains in the form of storms and torrential rains. In preparation for these rains, California also has to address the homeless population, who will be stranded in the rains if adequate shelters are not provided for them. In his article, Sunnyvale: Fast-tracked Emergency Homeless Shelter Set To Open, Eric Kurhi cites expert opinions, utilizes emotional appeal, and employs rhetorical devices such as diction in order to provide information on the new homeless shelter opening in Sunnyvale while discussing the overall problem of homelessness. Originally, Kurhi establishes his opinion on the new shelter through the use of specific He states “70.6 percent of the 6,500 homeless people on any given night are considered ‘unsheltered’” (2), which serves a dual purpose; it creates sympathy for the homeless, solidifying Kurhi’s opinion that the homeless shelter is needed for those who are “unsheltered,” while maintaining his credibility. Furthermore, Kurhi quotes Sunnyvale Councilman Jim Davis, who broaches the fact that “’there are still a lot of people in danger’ on the streets” (2), further evoking sympathy and underlining Kurhi’s approval for the efforts taken by city officials to establish a new shelter. As the article progresses, Kurhi continues to further his purpose of creating an informative, unbiased article by providing the problems that are present within the city’s homelessness, and how it may prevent officials from reaching out to those who are displaced. He notes that the “topography of the county…the numerous creek beds and little pockets of open space... [become] ersatz permanent shelters” (3). Kurhi’s analysis of the problem is evident in this excerpt; his use of imagery serves to create sympathy for the rough conditions that homeless people live in and also creates urgency for the problem of sheltering the homeless. Through rhetorical devices, statistics, and emotional appeal, Kurhi manages to further his

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